At the start of last year I wrote an article titled, ‘Getting Active With Active Hands’. It was all about promoting fitness and health; encouraging people of all abilities to get to the gym, push themselves and be as active as possible; taking inspiration from the fact that 2016 happened to be a Paralympic year. And I think it is safe to say that, now 2016 is comfortably in the rear-view mirror, the Paralympics was the shining beacon of what will otherwise go down as an archetypal annus horribilis! However, with a new year now upon us, it is time to wipe the slate clean and look to the future. Whether you are congratulating yourself on sticking to last year’s fitness goals or consoling yourself for letting them slip away, that’s all in the past and it’s now time to concentrate on this year’s targets, either building on from last year or re-evaluating and starting over. Whatever your fitness goals may be, whatever motivation you may have for getting fit, you should never allow your disability to stop you pursuing a fit and healthy lifestyle, not when there are so many aids and adaptations out there to help. This is 2017 and it’s once again time to Get Active With Active Hands!
2017: A New Dawn, A New Day
As anyone who watched the Rio Paralympics will have seen, disability sport is getting bigger and bigger. Crowds in their thousands go to watch, as household names such as Jonnie Peacock, Ellie Simmonds and Ryley Batt compete in their respective fields. The level of television coverage the Paralympics now receives is unprecedented, with millions tuning in around the world. Disabled viewers who may previously have never believed sport was even an option for them will have watched on as athletes of similar disabilities competed for gold on the world stage. There were 23 different disability sports on show in Rio, with numerous other non-Paralympic sports available to play back home. The popularity of sports such as wheelchair rugby, basketball, tennis, track racing, field throwing, hand cycling, swimming etc, which not long ago only attracted a dedicated minority, now have clubs set up all across the UK, Europe and the world. In fact, there are now so many different sports, encompassing so many different disabilities, that there genuinely is something out there for everyone!
In order to compete at the highest level, athletes must not only dedicate themselves to their chosen sport but also to their gym training, often having a daily exercise regimen designed to specifically target areas that will help them excel in their event, whether they be power, stamina or speed related. It is with this in mind that I am going to look at a selection of gym activities, the areas they would be most beneficial for and how Active Hands’ gripping products can enable you to push your body further and get the most out of a trip to the gym!
Over the next 6 days we will be posting a new exercise. Come back each day to discover how you can train your body in the gym with Active Hands.
Gareth Herridge